This invention relates generally to combustors and more particularly, methods and systems to facilitate reducing pressure drops within gas turbine combustors and to facilitate increasing efficiency and lowering emissions and dampening thermo acoustic oscillations.
At least some known gas turbine engines include a multi-stage compressor that compresses inlet air to higher pressures and temperatures. The compressed air is channeled to combustors which mix the compressed air and fuel to generate combustion gases directed towards a turbine. The turbine drives the compressor and/or other loads such as, but not limited to, electric generators and mechanical drive applications. Known combustors are generally formed with an outer case and a combustion liner coupled radially inward from the case.
At least some known combustors also include a second liner, commonly referred to as a flow sleeve, which extends within the casing and around the combustion liner. Known flow sleeves include an inlet end that receives a portion of the compressed air channeled along a radially outer surface of the combustion liner. Although such a flow sleeve is generally used to increase cooling of the combustion liner, known flow sleeve configurations may also undesirably increase the pressure drop of air flowing through the flow sleeve.